Thursday, December 6, 2018

Only a few days ago ABC Bullion released their 2019 lunar pig range. The pig is the last of a twelve year lunar cycle. The lunar pig is just the third in their lunar series with the dog and rooster previously, however they did not disappoint.

The design depicts a stout mother pig with her three playful piglets nearby, surrounded by hydrangea and daisy flowers.

Whilst most mints have varying sizes of coins in both gold and silver, the ABC Bullion has produced these coins in one troy oz weight in both the gold and silver range.

2019 1oz Gold Lunar Pig

Metal

Diameter

Thickness

Mass

99.99% Au

32.6mm

1.93mm

1oz

2019 1oz Silver Lunar Pig

Metal

Diameter

Thickness

Mass

99.95% Ag

39mm

2.48mm

1oz

The reverse design has probably one of ABC Bullion's most notorious products, the 1oz gold cast bar. This sits at the centre with a linear back drop with the weight, purity, metal type underneath and ABC Bullion overhead.

All the metal used in ABC Bullion lunar products are wholly sourced in Australia and the gold lunars are individually sealed and serialised in protective packaging.

For more information about these coins and more by ABC Bullion please visit their website

Sunday, November 4, 2018

The Royal Australian Mint has recently released their 2019 Lunar Pig Coins. On the their website they say 'freshly minted designs', and what a fresh design it is. It may be considered one of the best designed lunar pig coins.

The pig design is the last of the twelve year lunar cycle. The next time we will see the lunar pig again will be in 2031.
The design shows a happy and optimistic pig with a Chinese coin behind it, which is surrounded auspicious symbols created by the mint. The Chinese coin represents luck and wealth.

The released coins come in both gold and silver, three in total with limited mintages and a proof finish. The silver coins comes in the availability of 1oz and 1kg whilst the gold coin is available in 1/4oz.

2019 1kg Silver Proof Lunar Pig

Denomination

Metal

Diameter

Mass

Finish

Mintage

$30

99.9% Ag

99.95mm

1kg

Proof

100

2019 1oz Silver Proof Lunar Pig

Denomination

Metal

Diameter

Mass

Finish

Mintage

$5

99.9% Ag

40mm

10z

Proof

3,500

2019 1/4oz Gold Proof Lunar Pig

Denomination

Metal

Diameter

Mass

Finish

Mintage

$25

99.9% Au

21.69mm

1/4oz

Proof

1,000

The reverse design of all the coins are the same which is the effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II created by Ian Rank-Broadley.

Each coin type is presented in different holders with certificates of authority with the 1kg silver proof coin being the only coin that is presented in a wooden grain style presentation box, whilst the 1oz silver proof and 1/4oz gold coins are presented in elegant minimalistic presentation boxes.

For more information about these coins and more by the Royal Australian Mint please visit their website

Saturday, October 20, 2018

After a while of being dormant, silverlunar.com will be more active with the addition of new content and some other structural changes.
We have updated all the Perth Mint Mintages Tables to the most current available data for you. Silverlunar.com also implemented gold and silver spot charts, which hopes will be of use to you.

As I highlighted in a recent article (Back To The Future Coins From The Perth Mint), The Perth Mint are releasing this new series of coins to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Back to the Future movie series and a hat tip to a date from the movie:

Those familiar with the
movies are likely aware that the release date is one highly anticipated
by fans of the series. October 21, 2015 is the future (now present) day
that Doc Brown and Marty visit in Back To The Future Part II to prevent
Marty Jr. from going to jail.

As shown on this screen grab:

I expected the coins might be a release with high interest and be worth buying:

I expect a swift sell out on Perth Mint's website once they go live in a couple of weeks. Good luck getting your hands on them if of interest. I will likely be along side you placing an order, though will depend on design, price and mintage numbers.

With most details now in hand I can confirm I will be looking to buy at least the two silver coins (still on the fence for the Gold coin, the low mintage is appealing, but historically there are very few high premium Gold coins from Perth Mint which have held their value over time). I'm particularly a fan of the hoverboard design which does actually hover with the assistance of some magnets and clever design (contender for most innovative coin packaging ever?). The packaging for the silver Delorean coin is also top notch. Without further ado, here is a quick guide to the new Back to the Future coins, including their description:

BACK TO THE FUTURE DELOREAN 30th Anniversary 1 Oz Silver Coin 1$ Tuvalu 2015 - Thirty years after the box office success of Back to the Future, a new amazing coin issue in honor of the DeLorean. The coin is presented in a replica model car designed to look like a DeLorean DMC-12 sports car. The hood of the car pops up to reveal the coin, and the wheels rotate 90 degrees into flying mode". The car is packaged within an illustrated shipper and is accompanied by a numbered CoA. The reverse of this coloured coin features an image of the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car from Back to the Future surrounded by lightning bolts, with the Hill Valley Courthouse in the background. The inscription BACK TO THE FUTURE, and the coin's weight and fineness also appear in the design. The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, and the 2015 year-date are shown on the coin's obverse.

BACK TO THE FUTURE HOVERBOARD 30th Anniversary 2 Oz Silver Coin 2$ Tuvalu 2015 - Thirty years after the box office success of Back to the Future, a new amazing coin issue in honor of the Hoverboard. The coin is presented in a plastic capsule designed to look like McFly's hoverboard from Back to the Future II. The coin is suspended and hovering within the capsule using magnets attached to the capsule and inside a clear base. Packaged within an illustrated shipper and a CoA. The reverse of the coin features an image of Marty McFly's hoverboard as it appeared in Back to the Future II. The inscription HOVERBOARD also appears in the design. The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, the coin's weight and fineness, and the 2015 year-date are shown on the coin's obverse.

BACK TO THE FUTURE DELOREAN 30th Anniversary Gold Coin 25$ Tuvalu 2015 - Thirty years after the box office success of Back to the Future, a new amazing Gold coin issue in honor of the DeLorean. The coin is presented in a prestigious wooden case within an illustrated shipper and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Mintage 1.000 pieces worldwide. The reverse of the coin features the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car from Back to the Future set against a representation of a clock. The coin's weight and fineness also appear in the design. The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, and the 2015 ear-date are shown on the coin's obverse.If you're putting your hat into the ring for these coins, all the best with sourcing them. I expect the silver coins to be a quick sell out at The Perth Mint, especially so for the lower mintage hoverboard.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Images of the 2016 Chinese Lunar Series II Year of the Monkey Gold & Silver Coins have been released into the wild with coverage of all the coins over at Panda Coins Collector, but here is a quick peek at the two differing designs in both Gold and Silver (other differences between coin types are shape and size).

Those familiar with the movies are likely aware that the release date is one highly anticipated by fans of the series. October 21, 2015 is the future (now present) day that Doc Brown and Marty visit in Back To The Future Part II to prevent Marty Jr. from going to jail.

Three special commemorative coins have been released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Back to the Future. The Perth Mint celebrates the anniversary with the release of pure silver and gold coins with spectacular shapes and special packaging on 21 October 2015.

Each coin is presented in sensational Back to the Future themed packaging, and accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Back to the Future is an American science fiction comedy film trilogy released in July 1985 and starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a high school student who accidentally travels 30 years into the past to 1955, jeopardising his own future existence.

In the sequel Back To The Future II, Marty and Doc Brown have to travel to the future to stop Marty's future son from making a horrible mistake that would ruin the future family. They arrive on a Skyway on 21 October 2015.

The owner of Silver Stackers (& bullion dealer) 'gold pelican' had this to say about the coin release:

Demand has been shit hot for these. I think the launch will be in Sydney - details to follow when details are firmer.

Packaging is AWESOME.

I sometimes diverge from my usual lunar coin coverage to bring you a modern numismatic coin that may be worth considering to buy, I think this coin series will fit the bill (though expect as usual the Silver coins will outperform the Gold coin). I expect a swift sell out on Perth Mint's website once they go live in a couple of weeks. Good luck getting your hands on them if of interest. I will likely be along side you placing an order, though will depend on design, price and mintage numbers.

These sets aren't likely to sell out immediately given muted demand for the plain silver proof coins, most of which are still available (the three-coin set appears to be unavailable on the Perth Mint website).

Today also saw the official release of the Australian Lunar Monkey bullion coins:

So dealers have started listing the coins on their websites, including the highly sought after and mintage limited 1oz bullion coins (300,000 Silver, 30,000 Gold).

I will be trying to keep track of the 1oz silver coin prices in this thread on Silver Stackers (but if come across any bargains I will likely cross post in a new article here):

So far it seems dealers will be chasing $13+ premiums. As I have said in the past (and continue repeating), if these are an investment don't pay too much. I will be keeping an eye out for any reasonable premiums ($6-8 over spot price per coin), but if not achieved then am not likely to buy a substantial number this year. You can't blame businesses for looking to take some extra profit on these coins given the high demand and often low margin businesses they run, but as an investor it doesn't make sense to overpay.

If you spot any good prices on the 1oz bullion coin releases then feel free to drop them in the comments below. I expect Perth Mint will have some available through their bullion site and via phone orders later this morning, but may have some limits on the number investors can buy: Perth Mint Bullion.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Thanks to reader Coins 07 for highlighting the latest Macau lunar coins have been made available for order on the Singapore Mint website (images, specifications and pricing, release is the end of October). I previously covered the Macau Goat, Horse and Snake.

The 2016 Macau Monkey's are pictured below and come in Gold (7.78g) and Silver (1oz and 5oz).

The 1oz and 5oz Proof Silver Coins are sold by ballot due to their limited mintage and high level of demand. Interesting how commonplace the inclusion of peaches has been in lunar coin designs this year.

------------

For those interested in the Perth Mint proof releases, don't forget that the first wave of designs will be hitting the Perth Mint website early this coming week as detailed in another recent post:

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Perth Mint have released images and information about the upcoming 2016 Year of the Monkey Gold & Silver Bullion Coins. Here they are (click to enlarge):

I am quite pleased with the design. I didn't buy any of the bullion release lunar goats from Perth Mint, but I will be stocking up on more than a few of these. Release date for the bullion coins is not until October as per this schedule:

As I have said in the past, try and avoid any dealer price gouging, particularly on the silver 1oz bullion release which is mintage limited to 300,000 coins.

A number of investors have been burned by getting caught up in the hype and overpaying. I wrote in 2013:

Although I think the 1oz bullion coin from Perth Mint
is the best lunar coin to purchase (for future increase in value), I
only think it's only worth buying if you pay a reasonable premium today.
As it stands the standard A$10 premium on Perth Mint
1 ounce bullion coins (from the mint, there are volume breaks) is
higher than many other mints and 37% premium to spot price (A$26.75).
However, a lower premium circa $5-7 is usually possible given dealer
discounts.

Most Perth Mint
distributors have decided to increase the premium they charge customers
on the 1oz mintage limited horse simply because the demand is there. In
Australia thats resulted in a $11 (41%) premium ($1 over maximum Perth Mint premium direct, $4-6 over the usual premium they might charge on 1 ounce coins), with Gold Stackers being an exception.

If dealers are offering this coin in the $5-10 range over spot, I think it will offer investors a great opportunity to leverage off the popularity of the 1oz Lunar coins from the Mint, balanced with exposure to any future increase in the price of Silver.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Yes you read that title correctly, another very early lunar coin scoop for readers. The Year of the Goat only started in February this year, the Year of the Monkey doesn't start until February 8, 2016, but I have a scoop on the designs (description) for the 2017 Year of the Rooster Lunar Coin design from Perth Mint.

The Year of the Rooster doesn't start until January 28, 2017, though Perth Mint will likely be releasing their coins in early September 2016 the year prior (still around 13 months from now) as we've become accustomed.

Here is a preview of what we can expect from the Year of the Rooster design (my emphasis to highlight design specifics):

2017 Year of the Rooster - Gold Investor Coins

The design on the 2017 Year of the Rooster (1kg, 10oz, 2oz, 1oz, 1/2oz, 1/4oz, 1/10oz, 1/20oz) gold bullion coins, consists of a pattern of lines forming a circle immediately inside the rim, surrounding a representation of a rooster and several clumps of grass. The coin includes the following inscriptions ‘Year of the Rooster’, the Pinyin pictograph pronounced ‘jī’ and meaning rooster and the initials of the designer Aleysha Howarth ‘AH’.

2017 Year of the Rooster - Silver Investor Coins

The design on the 2017 Year of the Rooster (10kg, 1kg, 10oz, 5oz, 2oz, 1oz, 1/2oz) silver bullion coins, consists of a pattern of lines forming a circle immediately inside the rim, surrounding a representation of a rooster, hen and chicks, and several clumps of grass. The coin includes the following inscriptions ‘Year of the Rooster’, the Pinyin pictograph pronounced ‘jī’ and meaning rooster and the initials of the designer Tom Vaughan ‘TV’.

For the 2017 Year of the Rooster designs from Perth Mint the designers will differ between the Gold and Silver coin releases. This will be a break from at least the last 3 releases (Monkey, Goat and Horse) where the designer was the same for both coins.

To provide a little background on the designers of the 2017 Year of the Rooster coins you can read an interview and profile of Perth Mint Designer Aleysha Howarth here. Amongst other coins she designed the eight coins which form the Australian Opal series. You can read more about Tom Vaughan in an interview from a few years back here. He was also the designer for both Perth Mint Year of the Horse bullion coins as detailed in their descriptions covered in an earlier post.

I will be covering all the 2017 Year of the Rooster releases on this site in around 12 months time, in the meantime, we have only just started seeing the Year of the Monkey coins released which I will continue to cover here.

The Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled their range of 2016 Year of the Monkey Lunar Coins. Either their range has shrunk from last year or there are still more to be loaded on their website. You can read about previous year releases in the posts below: